President Paul Kagame on Friday, February 20, met with Veronica Nduva, the Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), to discuss accelerating regional trade and deepening integration among partner states. ALSO READ: EAC pushes five-point plan to ease cross-border trade Their discussions focused on key initiatives aimed at advancing shared prosperity across the EAC, according to the Office of the President. Nduva has been in Rwanda to attend the East African Community Multi-Sectoral High-Level Dialogue, which took place from February 19 to 20 under the theme, “From commitment to action: scaling up regional competitiveness to unlock trade and prosperity in the EAC.” The meeting follows the EAC’s adoption of a five-point priority plan aimed at easing cross-border trade. ALSO READ: EAC ministers, businesses call for 40% increase in regional trade During the dialogue, Nduva emphasised urgent action on these measures, noting that intra-EAC trade has grown from $6.42 billion in 2016 to $15.25 billion in 2024, reflecting an average annual growth rate of about 11-12 per cent. However, trade within the bloc still accounts for only around 12 per cent of total exports, underscoring continued reliance on external markets. The new plan’s actions include eliminating persistent non-tariff barriers, closing infrastructure gaps, accelerating digital trade solutions, improving labour and professional mobility, and ensuring regional integration delivers tangible benefits to citizens. Leaders also stressed that regional integration must translate into real benefits for citizens, particularly women, youth and small businesses engaged in cross-border trade.
